Microsoft Offering Cash for Old iPhones in Rumored Trade-In Program

No, Microsoft doesn’t actually want your old iPhones to use for themselves, but it’s reported that they’ll be offering an incentive for those who switch to Windows Phone from an iPhone. According to Forbes, it’s said that Microsoft will give iPhone users a minimum of $200 for their old iPhone (as old as the iPhone 4s) if they switch to Windows Phone.

Previously, Microsoft went after the iPad and offered customers at least $200 for their old Apple slate if they switched to a Windows 8 tablet. This time around, however, the company wants to target the iPhone, and select Microsoft Stores in the US and Canada will give you at least $200 for your old iPhone 4s or iPhone 5, if you switch to Windows Phone.

Sound like a good deal? Well, it certainly seems tempting given the fact that you can turn right around and use that money for a new Windows Phone device, so you’re essentially getting a few Windows Phone device if you give them your old iPhone. However, you’ll most likely be able to get a lot more out of your old iPhone than what Microsoft will give you, so be sure to check eBay or Craigslist for a rough estimate on how much your iPhone is worth on the used market.

However, if you’ve been thinking about switching to Windows Phone and want to do it quickly without much hassle, Microsoft’s trade-in program will probably be the easiest way to go. Either way, though, Microsoft definitely wants to entice users to switch to Windows Phone instead of the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c, and it’s looking to steer away users who are on that path.

However, Microsoft may be too late. For those wanting to upgrade to the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c probably already have, and Apple’s sales figures from the weekend prove that many users definitely already upgraded (although those numbers were claimed to be a bit shaky). Then again, for those who waited to upgrade, look for Microsoft to get in your way a little bit in order to offer you a promotion of their own and switch over to Windows Phone. However, the company will be hard-pressed to persuade diehard iOS users from switching.